On San Petersburg - intro

I just did what happened to do.

I had no real plan (-again!) for San Petersburg. I mean, I sort of had an idea.. my friends gave me a map of the city and some general information.

The map and all the information written on it, was in Russian. Thank goodness drawings have a universal interpretation.

Xhenja is the reason I took it so easy. She is a friend of mine from San Petersburg, back there for a weekend. For two days she’s been my free, all round, fully knowledgeable English speaking guide.

In addition to that, I had sunshine on me most of the time (quite unusual for this time of the year).

29.10.2011 On trains and people

It wasn’t as bad as I expected. A friend of mine used words like “cattle truck conditions” when travelling on a second class night train in Russia.

We were surely quite packed up, but it could have been worse. (I like to see the glass half full, not half empty).

There was room for the passengers’ luggage, there was a cafeteria (= two middle-aged, plump women, with tired legs and weary makeup serving tea and snacks. Their grey uniforms spoke of the fatigue of all the sleepless working shifts). There was a toilet.

Each passenger had a set of blankets, sheets, duvet and pillow to ensure a – hopefully good, night of sleep.

I do not quite like sleeping on bunk beds. Luckily I slept on the lower one. It took time for people to fall asleep, someone kept smoking all night long (there was a sort of smoking area. Although the door was closed, the smoke leaked in). The man sleeping above me, used rock music as lullaby.

But, as I said, it could have been worse.

29.10.11 Komsolmoskaya train (&metro) station 1.04 am

And here I am.. standing in a crowded hall, sorrounded by other travellers like me.

In this set made of luggage, people, shops and cafes, we are the bored and sleppy component.

In this confined space everyone is in waiting. We will all leave sooner or later.

My train to San Petersburg should arrive in half an hour or so. I am quite exicted.. I need a break from Moscow. The hectic life that is lived here is not quite for me.

There is a massive screen facing the main entrance. It broadcasts-in loop, the future of Russian railways according to the present government (Medvedev + Putin). It looks promising.. but it also looks very much like propaganda to me.

Later on, on the train, when it had just departed:

“Leaving always fills me up with a sense of peace and calm. The feeling of satisfaction is suddenly overwhelming. What surprises me is that I always manage to forget what it feels like…”

Sunrise, November 2011

View from home.
Modern times??